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Tag: STB

  • Why Tata Sky’s Harit Nagpal is pained about the MPEG-4 STB rollout

    Why Tata Sky’s Harit Nagpal is pained about the MPEG-4 STB rollout

    MUMBAI: A press release hit indiantelevision.com yesterday disclosing how US chip company Broadcom had got a massive order to supply standard definition MPEG-4 set top boxes (STBs) to Tata Sky. A simple release right. But it surely got the goose of Tata Sky managing director Harit Nagpal.

    Tata Sky MD Harit Nagpal is still awaiting a response from ISRO officials
    “This entire exercise is costing Tata Sky about Rs 1000 crore,” was Nagpal’s admission, when indiantelevision.com called him up. “We are replacing close to 5-6 million MPEG-2 SD STBs at no cost to consumers over the next year. All of this is coming in from internal accruals.” Nagpal says the DTH operator normally supplies about three million STBs a year for new acquisitions and churn. “This year we will be doing about 9-10 million STBs,” says he.

     

    The volumes have forced him to bring in emergency teams to make sure they install 500,000 STBs a month (made by Huawei and Humax apart from other international STB makers). This is apart from the regular service teams, which handle regular installation and problems.

    “For us even at Tata Sky it is a massive exercise and we have been working on it for the past three months and have just started the rollout,” he reveals.

    But isn’t that good? “Upgrading the boxes will give me more capacity for 12-14 channels,” he admits. “But I am being forced to do this because Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) has yet to give me my transponders. I could have put this money elsewhere on expanding my digitisation plans.”

    Tata Sky’s signals are being beamed off Insat 4A; but it had signed a contract to lease 12 transponders on ISRO’s GSAT-10 satellite around five years ago which have not been delivered to Tata Sky yet, even after the satellite launched in to space in September 2012.

    “It is sad that after national publications and a medium such as yours have carried my complaint against ISRO, I have not got a single revert from it about our transponders. We intend to take legal action since all our attempts to reach ISRO have failed. The courts are on vacation now, when they open again, we will move them,” added Nagpal.

    The transponders would have allowed Tata Sky to increase its channel offerings to consumers. However, now the new STBs will allow Tata Sky to add more channels to its bouquet. “We have been adding channels in a phased manner; the process will now be accelerated with the MPEG-4 STB. By June-July next year we should be able to revise our channel offerings to consumers,” said Nagpal.

  • Directive for making electronic goods comply with Indian safety requirements

    Directive for making electronic goods comply with Indian safety requirements

    NEW DELHI: Even as contradictory reports keep appearing on whether the digital set top boxes comply with Indian standards, the government today announced that its order for making several electronic items adhere to Indian safety standards will come into effect from 3 July.

    The “Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2012” mandates compliance to Indian Safety Standards for 15 notified categories of electronic goods. These electronic goods are STBs, Video Games, Laptop/Notebook/Tablets, Plasma/LCD/LED TVs, Optical Disc Players, Visual Display Units, Printers/Plotters, Scanners, Wireless Keyboards, Telephonic Answering Machines, Amplifiers, Electronic Musical Systems, Electronic Clocks, and Automatic Data Processing Machines and Microwave Ovens.

    Keeping in view the fact that some manufacturers and importers have yet not received registration numbers from Bureau of Indian Standards, the Department of Electronics and IT (DeitY) has put in place an interim mechanism from 22 March this year.

    According to this notification, DeitY shall provide provisional clearance to the manufacturers and importers to sell goods and to obtain registration for a period of three months beyond 3 July. A copy of this extension order is available on website www.deity.gov.in/esdm.

    The Department has accordingly put in place a system for granting provisional clearances for units which have not obtained their registration. The application forms and related documents for seeking provisional clearance are available at www.deity.gov.in/esdm. The applications have to be made to Nodal Officer (Standards – Extension), in the Department of Electronics and IT in terms of the aforesaid notification. All manufacturers and importers are requested to make their applications at the earliest to avoid any difficulty in getting their products sold in the market.

  • India’s Pay TV market to create a demand of 140 million smart cards during 2013-2018

    India’s Pay TV market to create a demand of 140 million smart cards during 2013-2018

    MUMBAI: MARC Group in its latest report entitled “Smart Card Industry in India: SIM, Identity, Banking, Transport, Healthcare, Pay TV, Loyalty & PDS” expects India‘s Pay TV market to create a demand of 140 million smart cards during 2013-2018. Findings from the report suggest that with 155 million subscriber households in 2012, India is the third largest TV market after the US and China. TV signals in India are currently distributed in analogue as well as in digital and terrestrial formats. Most cable operators in the country are providing analogue TV service while all DTH operators are providing a digital TV service.

    The report found that the government of India amended the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act in October 2011 to announce implementation of a phase-wise digitisation programme of pay TV services throughout the country. Findings from the report suggest that this would result in all cable TV households to receive digital TV signals through a set top box (STB). As part of digitisation, every cable operator will be legally bound to transmit digital signals, which can be received at the subscriber‘s home only through a STB. Since smart cards are required in each STB, the growth in STB sales is expected to create a huge opportunity for smart cards in India.

    This study, an updated and far more extensive and analytical version of the 2011 study, provides and draws upon a comprehensive analysis of every major smart card segment in India. Key metrics and events such as smart card requirements, current and future volume and value demand, key smart card projects, project implementation timelines, success and risk factors, costs, etc have been comprehensively analysed in this report. This study aims to serve as a guide for investors, researchers, consultants, marketing strategists, and all those who are planning to foray into the Indian smart cards market in some form or the other.

     

  • Govt launches SMS campaign to sensitise people to fill consumer application forms for DAS

    Govt launches SMS campaign to sensitise people to fill consumer application forms for DAS

    NEW DELHI: With the pace of consumers entering into agreements with local cable operators (LCOs) moving at a snail‘s pace, the government has decided to launch an SMS campaign in order to sensitise Cable TV subscribers in Phase-I and Phase-II cities about the need to fill the consumer application form (CAF).

    The consumers are required to fill the CAF in order to exercise their choice of channels and make the payment for the channels of their choice only.

    The Information and Broadcasting ministry has been monitoring the availability of set top boxes (STBs) with the multi system operators (MSOs). Broadcasters are already running scrolls on TV channels to inform the public about the importance of filling CAF forms. MSOs are also giving messages on their local TV channels. Analogue signals have already been switched off by almost all the MSOs and digital signals are generally being encrypted.

    As part of the process, over 80 fresh provisional registrations were issued to MSOs for operation in one or more cities of Phase-II, with the condition that they would operationalise their digital head-end before the cut-off date.

    After technical inspection of all the concerned MSOs which showed some had not operationalised their set ups, the ministry issues 48 show cause notices, and cancelled the provisional registration of 15 defaulting MSOs.

    The ministry has been consistently monitoring the progress made towards digitization during Phase II of the process. According to the data received from the MSOs and direct-to-home Operators, 22 cities have already achieved 100 per cent target of digitisation. Another 14 cities have shown considerable progress and the achievement remains less than 50 per cent only in Coimbatore and Vishakhapatanam.

  • Fanhattan unveils Fan TV STB for an improved entertainment experience

    Fanhattan unveils Fan TV STB for an improved entertainment experience

    MUMBAI: Fanhattan, which is an entertainment technology company based in Silicon Valley has come out with Fan TV – an input 1 set-top box. This brings live TV, cloud DVR and streaming services all together in one place, with a touch remote. The device will allow users to access movies and shows.

    Fanhattan is backed by the investors behind Tivo, Netflix and Sonos.

    The company designed Fan TV in partnership with Yves B?©har. The touch remote with zero buttons fits in the palm of one’s hand.

    fuseproject founder Yves B?©har said, “Fan TV is the deepest and most magical entertainment experience. Everything about Fan TV is about cohesiveness between hardware and user interface, when others still look at these elements separately,” said.

    Fan TV eliminates the need for a scavenger hunt across multiple devices and remotes when figuring out what to watch.

    Fanhattan CEO Gilles BianRosa said, “With the rapidly growing number of entertainment choices, services and technologies, finding what to watch and how to watch it has become way too complicated. People don‘t need a stack of devices in their living room, each delivering only part of their entertainment experience. Fan TV will replace the need for a separate cable box, DVR and streaming device, and will streamline your living room by bringing your entertainment life into one beautiful place.”

    Fan TV will be available later this year, and will be complemented by a multi-screen experience that lets users discover, watch and share on-the-go. Fanhattan also is rebranding its free entertainment service Fan on iOS and the web. The web app is emerging from a limited private beta test and is now open to the public.

    Fan integrates 29 streaming services making more than 100,000 movies and shows available to watch instantly across iOS and the web. On the TV, Fan will be working with many of its existing streaming partners for over-the-top content and leading pay TV providers for live TV and cloud DVR, to bring its service to America‘s living rooms.

  • Trai’s tariff order gets a mixed response from leading MSOs and DTH service providers

    Trai’s tariff order gets a mixed response from leading MSOs and DTH service providers

    MUMBAI: Cable TV and DTH industry executives have given a mixed response to the standard tariff package order which they can charge subscribers for set top boxes (STBs) and consumer premise equipment (CPE) that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) announced late last evening. Called The Telecommunication (Broadcasting & Cable) Services Fifth – The Digital Addressable Cable TV Systems Tariff Order 2013 and The Telecommunication (Broadcasting & Cable) Sixth -The Direct to Home Services Tariff Order 2013, respectively, they seek to offer another option for buying STBs to TV viewers in India.

    Leading Indian MSO DEN Networks COO M.G. Azhar was reasonably happy about the orders being release. Says he: “It is good news. Under the new order, the government has standardised a payback period of three years for the STB/CPEs.”

    He, however, confessed that he does not know how much of an impact it would have on consumer offtake. “Our experience shows that we have not had too many subscribers opting for the basic STBs which we have been offering to them in the past with similar packages,” he reveals. “We used to take Rs 600 or so when a consumer signed on for DEN‘s DAS services and then adjust the cost of the STB through the subscription fees we levied every month. Normally, we have been seeing more offtake coming for the better STBs.”

    Some like Tata Sky MD and CEO Harit Nagpal said it was too early to respond to the media about the Trai tariff orders. “We are responding to the Trai on this directly,” he explained. “We are seeing how quickly we can implement it.”

    Videocon d2H CEO Anil Khera admitted that he was not so sure if the orders would be acceptable to all. But he added that his company was trying to understand what its impact would be on the DTH sector. “We are currently studying the order and seeking legal advice as well, we are still trying to understand the logistical issues,” stated Khera.

    Indusind Media & Communications Ltd MD Ravi Manshukhani, was pretty non-committal about the Trai‘s new orders. “Whatever they have put out is absolutely fair, we just hope that we are able to implement whatever is required from our end with support from the government,” he stated.

    But he also highlighted that the operator should have the right to quote his price for the STBs he is giving his customers. He cautioned: “See the government is playing its part in creating guidelines for the sector, but they do not know what is actually happening on the ground. We have not yet matured as a market to provide what Trai wants. Right now we all are in the process of digitising the country as per the demands of Trai and ministry of information and broadcasting, so we are providing the boxes at whatever prices we can. If there are more rules and regulations like this then it is only going to make things painful.”

    So the verdict of the industry on the new Trai tariff orders seems rather unclear. Let‘s wait and watch, and see how they react to it over the next few days.

    Also read:

    Trai issues Tariff Orders for STBs/CPEs for DTH and cable TV operators

    TRAI acts tough about DAS; moves court against cable TV ops

    Trai issues draft tariff package for STBs/CPEs for DTH and cable TV ops

  • Trai issues Tariff Orders for STBs/CPEs for DTH and cable TV operators

    Trai issues Tariff Orders for STBs/CPEs for DTH and cable TV operators

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) late last evening issued two tariff orders prescribing standard tariff package for set top boxes (STBs) for digital addressable cable TV systems (DAS) and Consumer Premises Equipments (CPEs) for Direct to Home (DTH) services. The prime objective of these tariff orders, TRAI says, is to ensure effective commercial interoperability.

    The said tariff orders have been devised to make available STBs / CPEs at a reasonable price and, lucid and easy to understand, terms and conditions as well as to take care of the interests of the service providers. This would also promote healthy competition amongst the operators which would ultimately benefit all the stakeholders of the sector, including the consumers.The standard tariff packages for STB/CPE on rental basis are to be offered mandatorily by DTH and cable TV operators.

    As per the two tariff orders issued and notified on 27 May, cable TV operators and DTH service providers will be in a position to provide four options to consumers with differing rental and security deposit plans. DAS service providers can provide the STBs at a monthly rent of Rs 55.66 or Rs 50.66 (excluding taxes) if the security deposit is Rs 400 and Rs 800 respecitvely. For DTH service providers, the monthly rent for the CPE has been mandated at Rs 71.75 and Rs 65.50 if the security deposit is Rs 500 and Rs 1000 respectively.

    The entire security deposit will be refunded to subscribers at the end of three years and the STB or CPE will belong to the customer. Should the customer choose to clip the service earlier under these options, he will still get the entire STB security depost refunded.

    The tariff orders have also given options where the security depost is adjustable against the monthly rent. Thus DAS service providers can offer the STBs at a monthly adjustable rent of Rs 46.80 or Rs 32.93 if the security deposit is Rs 400 and Rs 800 respectively. And DTH service providers can provide STBs at a monthly adjustable rent of Rs 60.66 and Rs 43.32 if the security deposit is Rs 500 and Rs 1000. Under these options, should the customer choose to exit the DTH or CAS service, he will be entitled to a refund depending on the month he is discontinuing the service.

    For instance, if he moves out in month twelfth of year one of the Rs 500 adjustable security deposit plan for DTH, he will be entitled to get a refund of Rs 370.18. If the exit takes place in month 24 the refund amount has been drawn up to be Rs 192.05.The TRAI has similarly drawn up tables which clearly spell out how much the refund would be. The two orders which clearly explain this are called The Telecommunication (Broadcasting & Cable) Services Sixth – (The Direct to Home Services) Tariff order 2013 and The Telecommunication (Broadcasting & Cable)Fifth – (Digital Addressable Cable TV Systems) Tariff Order 2013 TARIFF ORDER, 2013 and have been made available on the TRAI web site trai.gov.in.

    To see the standard tariff plan for DTH Click Here

    To see the standard tariff plan for DAS Click Here

    The charges which have been mandated by TRAI include the installation fee, activation fee, smart card viewing charges, and repair and maintenance for three years.

    The regulator has said that, while these packages are mandatory, service providers can also make other offers to subscribers.It has also stated that these specific packages are prescribed for “plain vanilla STBs/CPEs” and not for the exotic ones with recorders and HD and 3D STBs.

    The Standard Tariff Package for Cable TV operators has been worked out on the basis of the following facts and figures as provided by the Industry stakeholders/ Associations:-

    a) The total cost of STB has been taken as Rs 1750.

    b) Life span of STB has been taken as three years.

    c) The residual value has been taken as nil.

    d) Rental per month is based on cost of STB on Equated Monthly Installment (EMI) Basis @15 per cent per annum (@1.25 per cent per month) for a period of 36 months.

    The Standard Tariff Package for DTH operators has been worked out on the basis of the following facts and figures as provided by Industry stakeholders/ Associations;

    a) The total cost of CPE has been taken as Rs 2250.

    b) Life span of CPE has been taken as three years.

    c) The residual value has been taken as nil.

    d) Rental per month is based on cost of CPE on Equated Monthly Installment (EMI) Basis @15 per cent per annum (@1.25 per cent per month) for a period of 36 months.

    In case of un-installation/discontinuance of service before the last day of the month, balance security deposit shown as refundable at the end of that month will be refunded on return of Customer Premises Equipment.

    No installation charges or re-installation charges (except in case of shifting of connection) or activation charges or smartcard/ viewing card charges is to be levied by the DTH operator/or DAS service provider on the subscriber.

  • LCOs on the warpath in Kolkata, allege MSOs not playing fair in DAS

    LCOs on the warpath in Kolkata, allege MSOs not playing fair in DAS

    NEW DELHI: Cable TV operators in Kolkata have launched an agitation against the multi-system operators (MSOs) and broadcasters for failing to set proper rates and bouquets for the consumer.

    A representative of the operators told indiantelevision.com in Kolkata that the state government had added a further complication by levying a charge of Rs 70 as service tax for every set top box installed which the LCOs feel is illegal.

    The LCOs have sought a meeting with the State finance [Click and drag to move] minister in Kolkata in this connection.

    Even though the revenue share between the LCOs and MSOs is not clear and the packages being offered to the consumers are vague with no agreements having been signed, the LCOs say that Siti Cable and Indian Cable Network Company Ltd have sought help from the police which has imposed Section 144 for restricting entry of LCOs.

    Ratan Jaiswal who represents the Sangram Committee of the LCOs told indiantelevision.com that the number of digital STBs installed at present was less than forty per cent in the eastern metropolis.

  • Tony Lai is Singapore’s MediaCorp MD Experiences, Outreach

    Tony Lai is Singapore’s MediaCorp MD Experiences, Outreach

     MUMBAI: Singaporean media company MediaCorp has announced the appointment of Tony Lai as its MD, Experiences and Outreach from 3 June 2013.

     

    He started his career with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and moved on to various public and private sector roles, before re-joining STB as its assistant CEO in 2009.

     

    Prior to his re-appointment at STB, he was The Idea Factory MD. This is an innovation-focused strategy consulting business.

     

    In his new appointment, he will report to MediaCorp CEO Shaun Seow, looking after events, out-of-home, retail and business-to-consumer businesses.

  • TRAI gives more time to stakeholders to comment on its order relating to pricing of STBs

    TRAI gives more time to stakeholders to comment on its order relating to pricing of STBs

    NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has extended till 3 May, views of stakeholders on its draft tariff orders prescribing standard tariff package for set top boxes in digital addressable cable TV systems (DAS) and consumer premises equipments (CPE) for direct-to-home (DTH) services.

    The previous date was 26 April and the extension is on the request of the stakeholders.

    Under the order, the standard tariff packages for STB/CPE on rental basis are to be offered mandatorily by DTH and cable TV operators.

    The Tariff Order also assumes significance as it attempts for the first time to give inter-operability to consumers of DTH players. The authority is of the view that the interests of the consumers can be largely protected through the provision for commercial interoperability of STB. The commercial interoperability provides an exit option for a subscriber in case he/she wishes to change the operator for any reason.

    Accordingly, in the relevant Regulations/Tariff orders of TRAI, it has been mandated that the operators of Digital Addressable Cable TV Systems and DTH operators shall give an option to every subscriber to procure the STB either on outright purchase basis or hire purchase basis or rental basis, or in accordance with the scheme, if any, prescribed by the authority.

    While interoperability is available to customers of LCOs, TRAI observed that in case of DTH services, ‘the predominant DAS platforms at the moment, the schemes for CPEs offered to the subscribers by the DTH operators, have wide variations and at times are such that no viable exit option is available to the subscribers. Instead the consumer has to re-invest in new hardware in case of migration from a particular operator or platform. The same may also hold well in case of the upcoming Digital Addressable Cable TV Systems.‘

    Standard Tariff Package for STBs for DAS has been worked out. In addition to offering the STB as per the Standard Tariff Package prescribed by the Authority, the operators are free to offer their own schemes for supply of STB to its subscribers in accordance with the existing Regulations/Tariff Orders and the subscribers shall have option to choose from the Standard Tariff Package prescribed by the Authority and the alternative schemes offered by the operators.

    The Standard Tariff Package for Cable TV operators has been worked out on the basis of the following facts and figures as provided by the Industry stakeholders/ Associations:-

    a) The total cost of STB has been taken as Rs 1750.
    b) Life span of STB has been taken as five years.
    c) The residual value has been taken as nil.
    d) Rental per month is based on cost of STB on Equated Monthly Installment (EMI) Basis @15 per cent per annum (@1.25per cent per month) for a period of sixty months.

    The Standard Tariff Package for DTH operators has been worked out on the basis of the following facts and figures as provided by Industry stakeholders/ Associations;

    a) The total cost of CPE has been taken as Rs 2250.
    b) Life span of CPE has been taken as five years.
    c) The residual value has been taken as nil.
    d) Rental per month is based on cost of CPE on Equated Monthly Installment (EMI) Basis @15 per cent per annum (@1.25 per cent per month) for a period of sixty months.

    The authority has also noted that no monthly rentals will be payable after the period of five years and the Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) will become the property of the subscriber (except smart card/viewing card) after the expiry of five years. An amount equal to the sum of security deposit to be refunded per month and interest per month on balance security deposit has been adjusted in Rent per month per CPE. The Full amount of security deposit stands adjusted in a period of five years.

    Up to five years, on returning of the CPE, the Security Deposit shall be refunded, provided that the CPE is not tampered with.

    In case of un-installation/discontinuance of service before the last day of the month, balance security deposit shown as refundable at the end of that month will be refunded on return of CPE.

    No repair or maintenance charges would be levied by DTH operator on the subscriber, towards repair or maintenance of CPE up to the period of five years from activation of the same. The subscriber, however, shall be liable to pay repair and maintenance charges from sixth year onwards.

    No installation charges or re-installation charges (except in case of shifting of connection) or activation charges or smartcard/viewing card charges is to be levied by the DTH operator on the subscriber.